Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest airline, filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday after key shareholder Etihad Airways withdrew funding following years of losses, leaving valuable runway slots up for grabs.
The move offers Lufthansa and rivals a chance to acquire slots at airports such as Berlin Tegel and Duesseldorf, with Germany's largest airline keen to defend its domestic position against expansion by low-cost rival Ryanair.
Lufthansa confirmed it was in talks to take over parts of the business, while a source said easyJet was the second airline referred to by the government as being in talks with Air Berlin. The British budget carrier declined to comment.